Key Takeaways
- John Lithgow’s signature dish is an apple pie.
- The actor has spent years perfecting his pie crust.
- Lithgow says he’s a “reliable” cook and tends to stick to recipes.
Whether you know him from Conclave, 3rd Rock from the Sun or (my personal favorite) Dexter, John Lithgow is no doubt an iconic actor deserving of his many accolades. But something you may not know about Lithgow is his love for baking, which was displayed during his appearance on The Great Celebrity Bake Off in 2019.
While on the show, Lithgow revealed that he bakes off the screen, saying that his baking strength is something that people typically opt for storebought—it’s pie crust. He told Channel 4 that he has been “working years to perfect pie crust.”
And when asked what his “signature dish” is, Lithgow had a fitting answer.
“Apple pie,” the actor shared. “It’s as American as it can be.”
I mean, it’s a classic. Apple pie is peak cool-weather comfort food, and while celebs like Kevin Costner prefer the packaged kind, homemade is undeniably delicious. The natural sweetness of the apple means you don’t need to add much sugar to the dessert, and our no-added-sugar version opts for dates as a sweetener.
While we’re ways away from fall, you can still enjoy the flavors of apple pie without having to turn on your oven this spring and summer. Highly-rated versions like our Apple Pie Energy Balls and Apple Pie-Inspired Overnight Oats can be enjoyed all year round.
Lithgow loves baking with his wife, Mary Yeager, and he said that Yeager has mastered the art of the scone—and any dessert that’s “light and fluffy.” Scones are the perfect baked good to highlight any seasonal fruit that you have on hand!
Six years later, we’re feeling confident that Lithgow sticks with the same favorite dishes as he noted that he’s a “traditionalist” in the kitchen.
“I’m not a good experimenter,” he explained. “I’m not an experienced enough cook to make bold experiments, [so I] pick good recipes and follow them… I’m not a great cook, I’m just a reliable cook.” We’re thinking the actor is playing it humble here, as our bucket lists now have “try John Lithgow’s homemade apple pie” at the top. Send us a slice, John!
